The Importance Of Using Bilateral Hearing Aids

Hello.

In our country, while the use rate of bilateral hearing aids is 25%, it reaches 80% in the European Union, England, and America. The perception of hearing aids still being seen as a “disability” by society, lack of information among experts, insufficient information for potential users, and economic problems explain this rate.

Our hearing sense is designed bilaterally just like our vision. To put it simply, in case of hearing loss in both ears, a bilateral hearing aid should be used just like using a double frame for vision problems. In this writing, I aim to draw attention to the insufficient applications made in the case of hearing loss in both ears and create awareness about the advantages of using bilateral hearing aids.

Advantages of Using Bilateral Hearing Aids for Bilateral Hearing Loss:

Improvement in Understanding Speech and Natural Hearing Experience: The most common complaint of hearing aid users is “I can hear sounds but I can not understand.” Hearing sense is realized by the cross-linking of the stimuli received from the right and left ear and transmitting them to the brain through a structure called the corpus callosum. The use of a single-sided hearing aid also disrupts this balance. Understanding speech increases more by ensuring this balance rather than increasing sound intensity. With bilateral hearing aid use, users can differentiate similar sounds more easily and can hear distant sounds more clearly.

Increased Understanding of Speech in Noisy Environments: Single-sided hearing aid users may have to raise the volume of their device too much in noisy environments to better perceive speech sounds. This can lead to an increase in background noise and the emergence of annoying screeching sounds. With balanced and equal sound adjustment, bilateral hearing aid use offers a comfortable listening experience without losing speech sounds in noisy environments.

Protection of Balance Sense: The ear is also an organ for hearing and balance. Bilateral device usage will protect the existing balance sense and will have a positive effect on users who experience balance discomfort.

Effective Tinnitus Masking: Many of our users who complain of ringing complain of ringing from both ears. Double-sided hearing devices can provide users with more effective ringing masking.

Ensure Active of Both Ears: There are two separate hearing cortex in both our right and left ears. In single-sided hearing device usage, there will be a decline in the hearing cortex and inner ear activity in the ear where the device is not used. Double device usage will prevent this problem and ensure the active of both ears and ensure the continuity of your hearing device satisfaction in later years.

Increase in Lateralization Sound Localization: Users with hearing loss in both ears will hear the sound from the side they use the hearing device regardless of the direction of the sound when they use a single-sided hearing device. Double-sided device usage will give users sound localization.

In addition, some of the advanced connection features of hearing aids are usually active in double device usage (e.g. Signia OVP feature, etc.).

As it is understood, single-sided hearing devices used by people with hearing loss in both ears can cause some complaints for users. For this reason, as experts, we should give the necessary information about the subject to each user, provide references and give examples to users. We should offer payment convenience to users who are in difficult economic situations if possible, and emphasize the importance of budget planning for future hearing health.

Have a good day. :)